News and Research

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Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources alumn and professor emeritus of Univeristy of Washington Bruce Bare shared his story of over 45 years of experience in the forestry industry.

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Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources Professor Bryan Pijanowski and his students have now made it possible to hear sounds from a wide number of locations around the world. Our next segment will give you a look at…and a listen to what is happening at the Center for Global Soundscapes.

Purdue University is partnering with three Indiana zoos and the state in a conservation program that will involve raising year-old hellbender salamanders and then a few years later returning them to their southern Indiana habitat to be tracked.

FNR is pleased to announce a new program that will provide undergraduate extension internship opportunities for qualified students this summer. This is an exciting program with the potential to build on an already strong set of FNR extension programs while providing valuable experience and training for undergraduates.

FNR 1984 alum, Scott Jamieson, was one of the six agricultural leaders that received the Purdue University Agricultural Alumni Association's top award during the annual Fish Fry in Indianapolis. The Certificate of Distinction recognizes contributions to agriculture, and society in general, that go far beyond the requirements of a job or profession.

With help from the School of Chemical Engineering, Rick Meilan, Professor of Molecular Tree Physiology, has developed a strain of poplar trees that is ideal for processing into ethanol. Meilan's poplars will allow for the production of ethanol without affecting effecting the food supply.

FNR Alumnus Dustin Brewer's novel "Slip or Jump" is a humorous coming-of-age story of a Columbia Unversity student in his final year. The book is available on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble Inc.

Purdue FNR 1940 alumnus Russell Allen (Phil) Phillips' role in the Hollywood biopic Unbroken is a story of fortitude and survival over incredible odds against the backdrop of World War II. The film chronicles the life of Louis Zamperini and highlights wartime hardships he faced along with Army Air Corps pilot and Purdue alumnus Russell Allen Phillips. After the war Phillips became a middle-school science teacher in LaPorte, Indiana.

A Purdue University researcher is leading two projects designed to foster the regeneration of oak forests and improve wildlife habitat by burning smaller trees and other inhibiting plants. Michael Saunders, associate professor of forestry, is directing a little-used practice in Indiana called "prescribed burning" - small, controlled fires to kill young trees and shrubs that cover the ground with shade and prevent oak seedlings from growing.

A review of studies on how life forms interact with and influence their surroundings concluded that invasive species can alter landscapes in myriad ways and with varying degrees of severity. These changes can be quick, large-scale and "extremely difficult" to reverse, said study author Songlin Fei, a Purdue associate professor of quantitative ecology with the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) will be placing a new environmental sensing buoy north of Chicago the summer of 2015. This buoy will inform researchers in near real time of wave height and direction, wind speed, and air and surface water temperatures allowing them to assess conditions for beach-goers, boaters, manage fisheries, etc.

"Fungus behind thousand cankers disease mutates easily, making control a challenge," shares Keith Woeste, professor of forestry. Researchers from Purdue and Colorado State universities have discovered that the fungus responsible for thousand cankers disease, a lethal affliction of walnut trees and related species, has a rich genetic diversity that may make the disease more difficult to control.

Agricultural educators, community organizers and others promoting environmental awareness can learn about the myths and realities of agricultural conservation from the perspective of a researcher, practitioner and student in a new Purdue Extension publication. Adoption of Agricultural Conservation Practices: Insights from Research and Practice, developed by Dr. Linda Prokopy, Associate Professor of Natural Resource Social Science, and her research team, describe the importance of "systems thinking," which means discussing conservation issues as part of an overall farm management plan.

​Former Sen. Richard Lugar will visit Purdue University on November 11th to speak at a ceremony in which Purdue's forestry and natural resources farm will be renamed the Richard G. Lugar Forestry Farm. The 175-acre forestry farm promotes production of improved hardwoods to benefit Indiana's forest products industry along with the farm's resources for student research. The farm also provides the natural resources to experience numerous Extension programs.

​The new Discovery Park Center for Global Soundscapes is aimed at preserving the sounds of the Earth and highlighting their bellwether role in alerting scientists to environmental habitat changes by species. Dr. Bryan Pijanowski, Purdue University ecologist, and his research team will examine how animals interact - even across species - amid global habitat modification as well as develop science-related K-12 education curriculum materials.

Dan Cassens, Professor of Wood Products, shares urban tree utilization.​​ Homeowners or businesses that experience tree removal can choose to have the wood turned into lumber or have it placed in a landfill. View video and article on WLFI.com.

​Alumna Leslie Schreiber, a 2007 B.S. graduate, received a position in the Wyoming Game and Fish Department as a Greybull biologist. She will oversee the management of wildlife in the diverse northeast region of the Bighorn Basin. Read the full article on Wyoming Game and Fish Department's site.

Bryan Pijanowski, professor of human-environment modeling and anaylsis laboratory, shares in article, titled "Next-Generation Cities", the online planning tool Tipping Point. With this online tool you can determine how close a watershed is to an ecological threshold. Runaway runoff due to urbanization can be improved by having this and other planning tools available.

FNR aquculture researcher, Bob Rode, shares how Midwestern farmers can raise shrimp as he was interviewed by global news team. "The biggest challenge is being there every day. It's just another agriculture enterprise," shares Bob Rode. View full aricle written by Stephanie Becker, Aljazeeera America.